Meeting Topic -- Criminal Justice Reform

The United States locks up a greater portion of its population than nearly any other country in the world. According to new data from the government's Bureau of Justice Statistics, the number of people incarcerated was 1,505,400 people by the end of 2016.

While the discussion of criminal justice policy often takes place at the federal level, the vast majority of people who are locked up in the United States are incarcerated by state authorities. At the end of 2016, states had about 1,316,205 incarcerated, while the federal system had a total of 189,192.

There's significant differences in incarceration rates across states as well. California has the 18th lowest incarceration rate in the country, with a rate of 331 per 100,000 people sentenced to a year or more behind bars in 2016. That amounted to 120,340 people in state prisons.

Another problem is the number of mentally ill people incarcerated in the United States. Prisons and jails have often become the “housing” for the mentally ill.

Come join the discussion about Criminal Justice Reform. All are invited.